npower announces second energy price hike

npower is the fifth major energy supplier to announce a second price rise this year. It is putting its prices up again by 26% or £162 for gas and 14% or £60 for electricity coming into effect from today. It means the average npower dual fuel bill will go up from £1,056 to £1,278 - an increase of £222. However, in total, customers will have seen an increase of 41% or £370 since the beginning of the year when the average npower dual fuel bill stood at £908.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, says: "The industry-wide shift to higher household energy prices is almost complete. Only one supplier has yet to increase prices for a second time this year - when this final blow falls few households will emerge unscathed or unconcerned about the future affordability of their energy.

"Consumers have got to adjust and there are two key steps to this - making sure we pay the lowest possible price for our energy and learning to use less of it. Consumers should look to pay by direct debit and move to an online plan where possible to get the best available prices. Those who have switched recently can afford to sit tight now to see what the final price rise brings. But those who have never shopped around before are already paying way above the odds for their energy - they should switch today so that they can start to make immediate savings."